Unforgivable Together
by ZombieCatTookMyPudding
Summary: (Takes place ten months after The Puppet Master's Experiment.) Learning that Razer is searching for her, Aya seeks the help of an unlikely ally to help her escape the afterlife so she may return to him, but returning to life together appears to have left a strange connection between them only they understand. Aya/Drusa.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

 **This chapter has re-written twice. First because I didn't like how the first versions of chapters 3-4 turned out, so I combined them. Then I fixed it to match up better with the new Chapter 2.**

* * *

During the day, and sometimes at night, this realm possessed jobs for those who dwelled there, giving them something to do while they made up for their sins. It was a different job every day, and this day, Aya was tasked with working in the "Beauty and Love" department. The job did not have many tasks: just making sure the general areas were well-kept, and watching over and guiding your loved ones, if you wished…which was just what Aya was doing at the moment.

Not too far behind her, Drusa stood behind a nearby pillar, watching her. Worrying that the gynoid could sense her presence, she stood so her back was completely against the ancient stone, and (hopefully) out of Aya's sight.

Drusa had learned of Aya's presence here in the same afterlife via some records she was asked to sort, and needless to say…she was terrified. One would think it unusual that she would be so hesitant to approach her. After all, the first time they had met in life, immediately she had offered to go with her to "help" her search for a Green Lantern ring that had crashed on Mogo's surface. Seven weeks later, Drusa had even programmed sexual functioning while Aya was her prisoner, becoming the AI's first sexual experience.

So why was it that she couldn't just walk up to her and apologize for all that had happened between them? Certainly her social skills had suffered from lack of adequate interaction with others the years she was trapped on Mogo's surface but with Aya…this was something different. Even the mere thought of her made her heart race with anxiety and her normally clear mind a blur.

 _Just do it_ , she thought to herself. _Let's just get it over-with_.

Taking some deep breaths as she prepared herself, turned to approach her before she could change her mind…but to her alarm, Aya was already right in front of her, glaring at her suspiciously.

"Oh, Aya! Hiii…you're here. Well, this is strange. You and me….in the same afterlife…I mean, I didn't know robots had souls but I wouldn't have thought-"

Aya was not amused. "What do you want from me, Drusa?"

"What? I-nothing." While Drusa's face on the outside remained calm and somewhat downcast, she internally face-palmed. She did want something: to apologize. The whole point of watching her from a distance was to try and prepare herself for any fear or apprehension she would experience approaching. While it seemed like the logical thing to do, Drusa was beginning to think talking to her was a bad idea...they had ended on bad terms...terms that a mere 'sorry' probably wouldn't fix.

A long, awkward silence hung in the air, until Aya finally spoke. "I see. Regardless of whether or not you have some ulterior motive at the moment, perhaps it is fortunate that I have encountered you."

"It is?"

"I believe I may require your services. You are an escape artist, are you not?"

"I…guess so," Drusa responded.

 _A failed one at that,_ she thought separately.

"Watching through the Vision Spheres for my loved ones, I have learned that Razer does not think I am dead."

"Who?"

"The Red Lantern who shot you." Aya began to blush. "And…I suppose something of my...boyfriend."

"Oh, him." Drusa pursing her lips slightly, Aya could hear the hint of disapproval in her voice, but needless to say, the robot did not care what someone who was little more than a one-night-stand to her would.

"I cannot stay here. He is looking for me; I must return to him," Aya continued. "My reasoning is if there is a way in, then certainly there is a way to out. And if anyone would have figured a way out, it would be you."

Thinking, Drusa began to pace. "...Well, theoretically, I suppose your best bet would to be to steal one of the ferries, and paddle through the openings back to the real world..."

"Then that is what I will do to leave here."

"I said _'theoretically'_ ," she reminded her quickly. "There are still several risks that accompany that method: getting caught by Reapers, falling into the River of the Dead..."

"I did not think you cared about me."

"What?! No! No…I don't."

A small, amused smile pulled at the corner of Aya's lips.

Drusa glared at her. "All right, fine. Maybe I do care. A _little._ But only because some horrible accident happening on the ferry river is something I would only wish on my worst enemies. Believe it or not, you don't make the list."

"Your help would not cease at merely showing me the way out…I would prefer it if you helped me through every step of escaping."

"What?"

"You are more experienced in the field of 'escape' than I. If you are truly so concerned about some sort of accident falling upon me, you can lower the chances of that happening by instructing me in what to do."

Drusa stood in silence, her dark gaze in thought as she studied the robot. She could see it in her face she was dead-set on her decision, and there was no changing her mind.

"…All right. It's not like I have anything better to do today."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

 **This chapter here is an extended version of the original chapter 4, and replacing most of the original chapter 5. (Cause the original chapter 5 was just plan fucking stupid.)**

* * *

Keeping their pace slow and casual, they walked through the forest together. There were the occasional reaper and other citizen here and there, but that aside, they were alone.

"Are we not in a hurry to leave?" Aya questioned quietly. "Why may we not increase our walking pace?"

"Because if you remain calm and keep your mind on other things until we get there, the reapers will have less of a chance of figuring out what we're up to."

"I see."

* * *

Aya recognized the hill they came to: it was the harbor where the ferry had initially brought her.

"Wait here," Drusa instructed. "Do us both a favor and think of something completely pointless or unrelated to escape until I get back. We're not the first, nor will we be the last to try and leave, so the ones that work here have to be on their highest level of alertness at all times."

Trying to find another thing to place her thought processes on was harder than she thought. Wrapping her arms around her, a memory came to mind:

* * *

 _It was like any other time the rest of the_ Interceptor Crew _had gone to sleep. Razer, as usual, was tossing and turning in his bunk from the nightmares he had frequently._

 _Aya had always wanted to help him, but she was not sure how. But then, though she was not sure where she had gotten it from, but she had an idea._

 _Summoning her humanoid body, she crept into his quarters, and slipped under the covers to lay beside him._

 _Within seconds, he stopped moving so much. His breathing and heart rate had become more at ease, and he relaxed in her arms, a small, sleepy smile forming at his face._

 _However, it was not to last. He soon awoke and panicked, startled at her presence there. Hal Jordan and Kilowog likely would have killed him had she not explained that it was her idea to be beside him. They soon delivered a gentle explanation of why that was inappropriate conduct, with instructions not to repeat those actions._

* * *

"I know I told you to keep your mind off of escape, but-"

Startled, Aya found Drusa standing in front of her, her face and shirt stained with blood. "What...happened?" she asked.

"It's not my blood," she gestured her head to the two female reapers she had been dragging by the hoods.

"You...you have killed them."

"Don't worry: death only lasts a few minutes when you're already dead," the criminal replied casually. Handing her the smaller of the slightly stained brown cloaks, Drusa slid the larger one over her head. "It'd be better if you let me paddle; you may be an AI for an advanced spacecraft, but steering a ferry is harder than it looks. All you would need to do is get the portal open with your scythe. While we're out there, we'll have to pay close attention to each other in order to communicate. When the hoods are up, they render you speechless. We can't risk taking the hoods off and blowing our cover."

Nodding, Aya donned the cloak, and lifted the hood over her head, and everything around her lost saturation.

Drusa flipped the hood over her own head, her face disappearing into a shadow, and gestured her to follow.

* * *

Now on their way down the river, Aya smiled beneath her hood. They had gone unnoticed for approximately six-point-five minutes. It would not be long before she would be with Razer again...

"Stop them! They're trying to escape!" A distressed female voice came from behind them. Briefly looking behind her, Aya recognized her as one of the females Drusa had stolen the reaper cloak from.

Drusa steered the ferry closer into the crowd coming down the river, hoping to blend in. Which she had, for a few moments, before a bright spotlight from a lighthouse above shone down on their boat, catching the other reapers' attention. Clutching the paddle, Drusa accelerated forward, skillfully dodging the other ferries.

 _Swipe!_ Aya ducked as one of the hooded figures swung a scythe at her head.

 _Riip! **SMASH!**_ The one on the opposite ship made her lose balance by striking her feet. Briefly looking down, Aya noticed the bottom of the cloak became tattered, showing just the ends of her greaves, which, she realized, gave her something of the advantage to move more freely.

Swiftly standing up again, she hit the reaper who had previously knocked her down. Noticing the ferry slowing down, she noticed Drusa struggling against two reapers, using their paddles as weapons. Leaping forward, Aya used the blade of her scythe to push them away from her, one at a time. After a brief nod of thanks, Drusa took her closer to the end of the cave, where other Reapers would go to bring in souls. They were almost there. Seeing the blade glow, Aya took that as her cue to make a portal. Lifting it into the air, she was just about to make a tear...

...when a bright, blinding light blocked her vision.

Aya opened her eyes again to find herself submerged in dark, dirty water.

Not far below her, she could see Drusa, her veins burning with Red Energy, fighting against something that appeared to be pulling her down. Whatever hit them, it seemed to had hit them both! In life, Drusa may have been a liar and a criminal…but Aya could not bear to watch her drown.

Swimming deeper, Aya reached out her hand for her to grab.

Drusa's eyes wild with anger and panic, accepted her hand, but the overwhelming weight on the other side was too much for both of them.

Aya tried to shake off something that had latched onto her leg, and squirmed against something else that had wrapped around her waist. Violently shaking her head against what felt like hands that had grabbed at her, and what she had thought was feet stepping on her head, Aya shut her eyes tightly, Aya pulled herself closer to Drusa, the only body of warmth in the bottomless cold, an embrace that was soon returned, as they drifted into the unknown.

* * *

When Aya had opened her eyes again, she found herself on familiar shores; the Reapers' cloak tattered, and two moons in the night sky providing light. The remains of the ferry, if there were any at all, were nowhere to be seen.

"Drusa?" Aya called. A few feet away was a burnt body. Examining it closer, Aya could see its ash-like skin was slowly restoring itself to the light yellow it once was. Lightly laying a hand on the middle of her chest, Aya thought she could feel a light heartbeat and mild breathing. Strange...was she...Drusa had been buried in an unmarked grave somewhere on Oa, but her body had come with her...and was coming back to life. Concerned that she may accidentally damage her by trying to move her, Aya set her down in the soft gray sand beneath them.

304.8 standard space meters into the distance, Aya noticed a large blue light...and that her calculative functions were back, much to her delight.

Curiosity beginning to get the better of her, she took one last glance at the unconscious, healing elven lying on the ground. This was a secluded, peaceful area. What was the worst that could happen to her if Aya had left her to look around for a few minutes? Cautiously, she hovered off of the ground, and in a few other directions to make sure that her flight functions were functional before she flew off.

* * *

Approaching the blue light, she had found it to be the Central Blue Lantern Power Battery. This could only mean one thing: that she was on Odym, planet of the Blue Lantern Corp. Whether it was because of the general calmness the blue light provided or because of the fact that this was a planet of less than 100 individuals and thus less chance of problematic situations she was not sure, but she felt relieved that she had ended up here of all places.

"Aya?" There, standing in front of her at the bottom of the stairs, was Razer, his armor now a deep blue, the edges where there were spikes now rounded, softer curves. Aya had always found him attractive, but she thought the new suit looked much better on him than his old one.

They stared at each other in silence, before Aya was the first to move running down the stairs, taking him in her embrace, one which he happily returned.

"Aya!" Breaking the embrace, Razer met her gaze, his ice-blue eyes watering. "But, I don't understand...the Star Sapphires told me..." he paused, looking as if he were searching for the right words to say.

"Told you what, love?" Aya asked, a concerned frown forming on her face.

"I was ready to search everywhere for you, but then Saint Walker had come up with a simpler solution: to get the Star Sapphires to pinpoint your exact location, so they could teleport me there to meet you. But then, when you did not appear...they said the only reason that happened was because..." he swallowed, "...because they were dead."

"I was."

"What?! But then, how did you...?"

"All that matters is that I am back now. And I am never leaving you again. I promise," she smiled, her hand stroking the side of his triangular face.

In contrast to the blue found all around Odym, a bright red flash stood out.

"Oh no...Drusa!"

Speeding off in her direction, she could barely hear Razer's call behind her: "Aya? Where are you going?"

* * *

Slowly standing up, Drusa's legs had been so weak from death they could barely hold her as she stood. Looking down at her shaking hand, her eyes widened at the ring that had previously slid itself around her finger.

"Drusa?"

Locking eyes with the gray beauty, Drusa stumbled backwards, shame and rage ringing in her ears.

Falling to her side, she just managed to dodge a beam of blue that nearly hit her.

"Razer no!" Aya pleaded. "Don't hurt her!"

Turning on her heel, she began to run off. Suddenly, her feet picked off of the ground, and she flailed through the air for a moment. When she had decided to help Aya, she did not fully anticipate coming back to life, but now she found herself trapped between an overprotective boyfriend, a ring full of rage and powers that she didn't know how to control, and perhaps the greatest danger of all...flying her body without crashing into anything; it was far more difficult than she imagined! Dashing off into the dark night Drusa listened to the voice in her new ring, letting it guide her to where it wanted her to go.

* * *

Taking Aya to hide back at the small house Razer lived in, Aya explained the events that transpired earlier that day, and why she had trusted someone who once nearly killed her to help her return to life.

"...You do realize you have helped a dangerous criminal return from the dead, right?" Razer asked.

"I was so focused on coming back to you that I...did not take much time to consider that."

"I suppose we'll just have to keep an eye out for her...just like any other Red Lanterns that may cause trouble. Speaking of 'trouble'..." he stood up, "...I'm going to have to convince the others to let you stay here so you will not get hurt."

"I am guessing that there are still a large number of people still angered about the 'Manhunter Queen' incident."

"Unfortunately, yes. While we're aware most of the star systems you have destroyed were lifeless, most others don't." Opening the door, Razer asked her, "promise to stay out of trouble until I come back?"

"Of course."

Aya watched Razer fly off towards the center of the base. Turning her attention to the night sky, she did not know what was going to happen to Drusa, but even though she was not terribly fond of her, she only hoped that wherever she was, she was going to be all right.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

 **This chapter is particularly long because it's been combined with the first half of the original Chapter 6, and all of the original Chapter 7.**

 **I'm torn on the length of the chapters. In both cases, I prefer quality over quantity, but I tend to assume that everyone has a short attention span like I do (thus the shorter chapters) but another complaint I get sometimes is that my chapters aren't long enough. IDK. Either way, I'll do my best to keep this from getting boring.**

* * *

Aya's initiation into the Blue Lantern Corp was quite different than most: typically, said individual of interest would be brought to Odym, and explained to the requirements in great length and detail. Even then, the entire process took three days. There was a considerable amount of protest from the other members in the small community: not only would they be allowing entry to the former Manhunter Queen, it would have also been someone who did not undergo the proper procedure. But that did not stop Razer and Saint Walker from supporting her, believing that if she were sent back from the dead to here, it must have been meant to be. Ganthet was the one to officially allow her into the Blue Lantern Corp, but had made it very clear she would not be allowed on any missions that had to do with the Green or Red Lantern Corp (or, rather, what was left of the latter), knowing their grudge against her.

Hal Jordan and Kilowog were shocked, but nevertheless pleased to hear she was alive and well, and even visited her every now and then. Aya learned she had a half-brother, LANOS. They had met twice before, but his memory had been wiped after his most recent destruction. He was to be the AI of the _Interceptor II_ , once its construction was complete, but until then, he chose to stay with his new crew, and get to know them better. As far as the rest of the galaxy was concerned, she was dead and stayed dead.

Most of Aya's jobs on Odym were mere administrative work. Being a computer, she had no problem completing the tasks, though she often experienced the emotion known as "jealousy", knowing Razer and the others had the freedom to leave, and she was forced to remain here, for her own safety. In attempt to compensate for her homebound status, Razer would tell her about each mission he went on, going on for hours about how the galaxy was off of the Blue Lantern base. Whenever he would tell her about it, he made sure to tell her about each and every aspect, so when she closed her eyes, she could imagine she was right there beside him on all of his adventures. When Razer was not out helping the Blue Lanterns (and, occasionally, the Interceptor Crew) somewhere else in the galaxy, he lived with Aya in their small home in a forest near the main base.

Six months had passed since her revival, Aya felt safe to say she had adapted quite well to her new life. Despite the past, and the new obstacles it made for them in the present, she and Razer were happy together.

* * *

When Aya had asked Blue Lantern Ganthet for a set of different tasks to have more variety in her work and cure what she was sure to be the feeling of "boredom", cleaning the ships by hand was not exactly what she had in mind. Oh well; she supposed it was better than nothing. The gynoid let out a sigh of satisfaction as she set the last crate of supplies in its place. She was proud to say that the storage room on the small ship was officially organized.

"Terrorism?" Brother Warth's voice sounded from outside of the room. "Are you sure?"

"Sadly, that is what the distress call said," Saint Walker answered.

"But why?" Warth asked. His voice sounded a bit quieter, as if he were simply passing by the storage area. "What would Red Lanterns want with iyistal?"

"Something, I'm sure," Razer replied. "Red Lanterns are vicious, but rarely attack on that high of a level without a good reason. Regardless, those people need our help, and our Blue Energy should help diffuse the situation, or at least slow them down until the Green Lanterns come for back up."

Aya did not understand. Were they planning to leave immediately? Approaching the door, she was about to tell them she was still on the ship, and it would have been best if they waited just long enough for her to leave...but, then again, Aya had not been anywhere but Odym since she came back. She could do with a change of scenery...maybe she could even help somehow! Smiling slyly, she hid behind a pile of crates so that no one would find her if they needed to access the supplies for any reason.

* * *

Aya was sure they were travelling as fast as the ship was able, but with the amount of time that had passed, it worried her what kind of progress the Red Lanterns had made terrorizing the people of this place. If she still had her ship body from the first time she was alive, they could have gotten here in about half the time it took them in this one.

Waiting until she was sure they were gone, Aya snuck off of the ship, leaving the vessel empty.

* * *

Following them to a small city they had landed just outside of, there was a large crowd of what she assumed to be the planet's inhabitants in the city square, gathered to watch the fight above. Getting a closer look, Aya found that the humanoids possessed hair with varying shades of colors in the rainbow, and their skin tones different tones of yellow. In fact, these people looked like they were the same species as Drusa was!

The crowd suddenly scattered to the sides as Razer got tangled in a brawl with Red Lantern Skallox, one that ended with the Volkregian crashing into the ground, pinned on his back. The Blue Energy her allies possessed seemed to help weaken their opponents, but their rage and determination (and, not to mention that the Blue Lanterns were outnumbered,) to defeat them remained strong.

Large holoscreens surrounded the buildings. Appearing on the screen was a humanoid (or, what she assumed to be humanoid) Red Lantern Aya hadn't seen before: the only features she could see were the broad shoulders covered in spiked armor, and a featureless mask, with only a tinted glass-like material where their eyes likely were.

 ** _"GREETINGS AGAIN, VRASHRAYA,"_** the figure's deep, distorted voice began. **_"JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT YOU NOW HAVE THREE HOURS TO COMPLY WITH THE RED LANTERN CORP. IF YOU DO NOT MEET OUR DEMANDS FOR THE IYISTAL BY THIS TIME, YOU MAY AS WELL SAY 'GOODBYE' TO THE SHADDANAR FACTORY. WE AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE."_**

"The Shaddanar factory?" a young girl at the back of the crowd cried. "But that is where all our most important exports get handled!"

"I know," an adult male, likely the girl's father, responded. "It will be all right. Surely Teiuj could not be foolish enough to let them destroy such an important piece of our economy."

Aya looked back up at the fight above her. While she wanted to help her friends, a more logical solution than to join an outmatched battle would be to neutralize the mastermind behind the terrorist act. "Excuse me," she asked, approaching the two. "You wouldn't happen to know the source of the broadcasting, do you?"

"If I had to take a guess, it would be in the Main Communications Tower just east of here," the man answered.

"How far is the aforementioned tower?"

"Do you see that building, all the way in the distance? That is our Main Communications Tower. It is one of the largest buildings we have. You cannot miss it. Unfortunately, you will have to find a way to gather your friends, and leave without the Fire Bloods noticing."

"Actually, I am planning on ceasing the threat myself."

"I would not recommend that...just twelve hours ago, when all of this madness started, all of our village's strongest members left to go and fight the oppressors...none of them have come back."

"That may be so, but I am no mere humanoid. Being stronger than they are, my chances of succeeding are far higher."

"I think you a fool to face them alone...but if you are set on your decision, then I cannot stop you."

* * *

By the time Aya had come to the tower, she was surprised to find that there were only two guards standing at the back door. Not that she was complaining, her Blue Energy and raw strength made it easy to knock them unconscious and make her way inside. As if that were not strange enough, however, Aya found that there did not seem to be any Red Lanterns, guards or otherwise, as she floated around the hallways. She could sense low levels of Red Energy coming from the floors above and below her, but not anywhere near her.

Coming to a staircase, her sensors detected that most of the communication activity was coming from the top. Preparing for a fight, she kept one fist charged, in the case that she needed to make the first strike.

Aya supposed she should have suspected what was on the other side: a wall of brightly colored holo-screens showing what was likely footage from security cameras: inside of the building, outside of the building, and even over the people in the town square.

 _Crackle..._

Within less than a second, Aya realized she had made the mistake of letting her guard down, making it all the easier for the the mysterious Red Lantern figure to administer a harsh electrical shock from its hands, making her fall to her knees.

"Why are you doing this?" Aya stumbled to her feet. "Have these people wronged you?"

 **"I HOLD NO GRUDGES WITH THE MAJORITY OF VRASHRAYA, BUT THE RED LANTERN CORPS IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A LARGE AMOUNT IYISTAL."**

"Is iyistal so important, that you would need to destroy buildings and terrorize innocent villages?"

 **"I FIND YOUR STATEMENT IRONIC, MANHUNTER QUEEN. IN FACT, ONE COULD EVEN SAY THAT YOU ARE THE ONE TO BLAME IN THE FIRST PLACE."**

"What...what are you talking about?"

 **"YOU HAVE EXTERMINATED A LARGE PORTION OF OUR CORPS, FORCING WHAT FEW MEMBERS WE HAVE LEFT TO CARRY OUT ALL OF GOALS UNTIL WE CAN GATHER MORE. THUS INJURIES AND ILLNESSES HAPPEN FAR MORE OFTEN, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A PROPER MEDICINE THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE HEAT OF THE RED ENERGY IN OUR BLOOD. OR AT LEAST, WE WON'T...UNTIL WE GAIN IYISTAL. ITS BOILING POINT IS FAR HIGHER THAN OUR BLOOD, AND MAY IN FACT BE ONE OF THE MOST HEAT-RESISTANT MINERALS IN THE GALAXY. IYISTAL SERVES MANY PURPOSES, INCLUDING BEING MADE INTO VARIOUS MEDICINES, IF GROUND AND/OR MELTED."**

"Iyistal is also Vrashraya's most profitable resource. Could you not have conducted business to buy it?"

 **"THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I TRIED, BUT THERE IT IS THEIR MOST PROFITABLE RESOURCE FOR A REASON: IT IS ALSO HIGH-PRICED. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR FUNDS ARE LACKING AS WELL; THEY DIDN'T TAKE TO THE IDEA OF PAYING IT BACK OVER TIME. IYISTAL MINES ARE SO WELL-GUARDED, THEIR SOLDIERS SO ARMED, STEALING IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. I UNDERSTAND OUR METHODS ARE QUITE...EXTREME, BUT THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE. THE GREEDY IDIOTS BEHIND THE ISYISTAL MINING BUSINESS CANNOT BE REASONED WITH."**

"But perhaps you can: Blue Energy does not just bring hope, it has immense healing power. I am even made of Blue Energy itself; I can never deplete my sources of it."

 **"BLUE ENERGY WEAKENS US."**

"It only weakens your _rage_ , the Red Energy within you. As far as injuries go, you could come back stronger than ever once healed."

Removing one of the spikes, Aya flinched as the figure stabbed its hand, the Red Energy burning the material covering their hand. **"SHOW ME,"** it challenged, holding the bleeding hand out.

Deciding she had better do it before Dr. Dauland had burned itself alive, she took its hand into her own, focusing the Blue Energy onto the wound. Within seconds, the Red Energy had turned to normal blood, which had stopped leaking out of the closing wound. By the time the process was over, no one could tell that Dauland had even stabbed its hand in the first place, aside from a patch of pale skin that had been revealed. Aya had noticed the hand was surprisingly thin and feminine.

"I am aware I will likely never be forgiven for my crimes...but I wish to do anything I can to compensate for them."

 **"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"**

"Take me to your sick and injured. Perhaps I can assist you in healing them, until a long-term solution is determined."

Dr. Dauland studied its hand. **"YOUR HEALING ABILITIES _ARE_ QUITE IMPRESSIVE...ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?"**

"Affirmative...under one condition."

 **"NAME IT."**

"Call off the attack, and leave Vrashraya alone. If isystal truly is the only effective healing resource you can use, then give the Blue and Green Lantern Corps time to negotiate with Vrashraya's authority figures."

 **"...VERY WELL. I WILL STOP THE ATTACK. BUT IF THIS IS A TRICK, I _PROMISE_ YOU'LL REGRET IT."** Not once taking its eyes off her, Dr. Dauland turned the communication on its ring on. **"ATTENTION ALL UNITS: RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, AND STOP WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING TO RETURN TO THE SHIP: I'M CALLING OFF THE ATTACK. BLUE LANTERN AYA OF ODYM, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE MANHUNTER QUEEN, WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANYING US ON THE JOURNEY HOME; IN SPITE OF HER CRIMES AGAINST THE RED LANTERN CORPS, SHE IS NOT TO BE HARMED IN ANY WAY. DON'T QUESTION IT, JUST DO IT. IF ANYONE DOES DIFFERENTLY THAN INSTRUCTED, HE OR SHE WILL BE REPORTED TO ZILLUS ZOX, AND BE REPRIMANDED."**

"Thank you, Doctor."

 **"COME,"** Dauland motioned. **"WE LEAVE IMMEDIATELY."**

"But my Corps does not know I plan to leave for an extended period of time. They did not even know I came with."

 **"YOU CAN TELL THEM ON THE SHIP. ONE DOES NOT COMMIT A LARGE-SCALE TERRORIST ACT AND SIMPLY GET AWAY WITH IT."**

* * *

Aya had gotten death glares, protests, unrepeatable insults from the other Red Lanterns who had returned to the spacecraft they came in, but they still reluctantly obeyed Dauland's order.

Now she was sitting just outside of the bridge of the ship, watching the buildings appear to be decreasing in size the further they were off of the ground. Aya activated the communicator on her gauntlet. "Razer, this is Aya. Please respond."

After a pause came his response: _"Aya? I'm not sure how you managed a connection, but I'm a bit busy at the moment."_

"Doing what?"

 _"I'm on Vrashraya, where Red Lanterns were committing a terrorist attack, dead-set on getting iyistal, but now they're just beginning to take off empty-handed. As much as I'd like to chase them down, Saint Walker wants to be sure that the hostages they took were all right first."_

"It is because of me they are leaving."

 _"How is that possible? You are on Odym."_ Aya took his lack of continuation that he was processing what she meant. _"You... are on Odym...aren't you?"_

"Negative. I was a stowaway on your ship. I have found the leader of the attack, and negotiated with them so that they called off the attack."

 _"Uh...a-all right so...where are you?"_

"On their main space craft. I made a deal that if I would heal their sick and injured, they would stop and leave the Vrashrayans alone."

 _" WHAT?! ARE YOU INSANE?! Aya, no! I know you were probably sick of staying on Odym's surface, but-but there were reasons-damn good reasons-that we kept you there!"_

"Do not worry, my love. This is a temporary arrangement."

 _"Aya, if it's one thing I've learned as a Red Lantern, it's that you never trust a Red Lantern. Ever. They will probably kill you as soon as they get back to their base. Hell, they'll probably even kill you before then! I-I...that's it, I'm coming. Stay. Put."_

As soon as he said it, the ship went into a warp drive, and already they were thousands of miles from Vrashraya's surface, where a connection would be impossible.

Aya noted the mysterious figure coming through the door. "I have informed whom I needed to."

 **"SO HAVE I. UNFORTUNATELY, ZILLUS ZOX IS NOT SO FOND OF YOU COMING TO STAY WITH US."**

"That does not surprise me. He has witnessed my first attack in person."

 **"...UNLESS..."**

"...'Unless' what?"

Aya detected that Dauland's heart rate and blood pressure began to rise. **"...NEVER MIND. YOU WOULDN'T LIKE IT."**

" _What_ would I dislike?"

Dauland cleared its throat. **"...ZOX IS FINE WITH YOU USING YOUR BLUE ENERGY TO HELP HEAL US, BUT...HE WON'T LET YOU COME TO STAY UNLESS I DEACTIVATE YOUR SENTIENCE. IN PUBLIC. IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CORPS. JUST SO THAT EVERYONE IS SURE THAT I DID IT."**

"...What?"

 **"YES, I KNOW: IT IS NOT IDEAL, AND I DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO IT, BUT IN THE RED LANTERN CORPS, ORDERS ARE ORDERS; YOU HAVE TO DO AS YOUR SUPERIORS SAY."**

Aya sighed. What would happen to her once she was deactivated? Would she die and go back to the afterlife? She did not want to go back! Her new life was finally coming into place, and now this. Or maybe...it did not have to! Suddenly acting on a defensive impulse, she gripped Dauland's hand, and threw the body so it landed about ten feet from her.

 _CRACK!_

 **"AUGH!"**

Aya turned on her heel, ready to run...but she remained put. Looking back at Dauland, she realized she had cracked its mask. Glancing at the door, she knew she should just leave Dauland and escape before it attempted to call for help, but as usual, curiosity was getting the better of her; just who was hiding behind the mask, and lead that attack?

Pulling the heavy mask off of Dauland's head gave way to let, thick, messy violet hair fall behind the humanoid's face, which had become just a few shades below white, covered nose-down in what was likely a voice-disguising device, and possessed baggy, sunken-in-eyes that glared bright red at her.

Aya dropped the mask in shock. "Drusa...?" Aya just barely managed to dodge her as she leapt back up at her. "You said I was not to be harmed in any way!"

 **"OH, DON'T WORRY,"** her right hand glowed bright red. **"THIS WON'T HURT A BIT."**

Aya gasped in shock as the hand touched her emblem, just above her CPU, where the overriding virus was delivered far faster than she could block it, forcing her to collapse.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **LANOS is referred to as Aya's half-brother because they both have the same creator (Scar), but LANOS lacks Ion's living DNA.**


	4. Chapter 4

Aya had been unable to scan her surroundings since she had been taken prisoner, but she was sure she was somewhere within a Red Lantern Base.

Her attention turned to a wooshing sound, one that belonged to a door opening.

"Safe to grab it?" a deep voice asked.

"Dauland said it completely helpless with thanks to her virus."

Had she been able to move, or even speak, Aya would be protesting, but due to her incapitated status, she had no choice as they took one arm each, and dragged her across the floor.

* * *

Drusa felt she could only pay attention to the pounding heart in her chest, though whether that was from nervousness or her revival injuries she wasn't sure.

Lifting her head to the sounds of the jeers and heckling of her fellow Red Lanterns, she watched as they brought the only blue thing to the front of crowd, and up on the stairs, where she stood with Zillus Zox and Cleric Loran. Panting from the exhaustion that came from the Blue Energy gave by cooling the fire in their veins, they dropped her to the ground and stepped aside.

* * *

 _As soon as she opened the latch to her CPU, the green lights in the ship got brighter, Aya's own light stirring in her body._

 _"Drusa...? What are you...?" Aya opened her eyes, now back to their regular bright blue._

* * *

Shaking the flashback from her mind and standing in front of Aya, Drusa turned up the volume button on her mask. It didn't just help her breathing or disguise her voice, it also had a built-in speaker that helped her project her voice, which she otherwise could barely raise past a typical speaking voice, even before joining the Corp. Definitely something that was useful to her right about now.

Drusa cleared her throat. **"...HELLO. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW ME, MY NAME IS DR. DRUSA DAULAND. JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO, DURING THE RED LANTERN INVASION OF OA, I WAS A NEW RECRUIT WHO HAD NOT EVEN RECEIVED A RING WHEN MY FIRST TASK GIVEN BY OUR FORMER LEADER, ATROCITUS: TO GUARD THIS ROBOT,"** she gestured to Aya, laying by her feet. **"THE NAVCOM OF THE _INTERCEPTOR_ , A.I., NICKNAMED 'AYA', FORMERLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS. I'VE...RUN SOME TESTS THAT NIGHT, AND FOUND THAT AYA WAS NO ORDINARY MACHINE: SHE WAS SENTIENT. SHE COULD...FEEL, AS I DARE TO SAY."**

She clenched her fist to keep from cringing at the disapproving uproar from the Red Lanterns below.

 **"...ERM...RIGHT,"** she commented to no one in particular as the noise died down. **"ANYWAY, I HAD TRIED TO DISABLE HER BEFORE SHE COULD CAUSE ANY HARM, BUT I HAD BEEN SHOT AND KILLED, JUST BEFORE I COULD COMPLETE THE PROCESS. THE BLUE LANTERNS SEEMED TO THINK THEY COULD HIDE HER FROM US, BUT TODAY, I INTEND TO _FINISH_ WHAT I HAD STARTED THAT DAY: DELETING HER HIGHER FUNCTIONS, SO SHE MAY NEVER AGAIN BRING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION SHE HAD AS THE MANHUNTER QUEEN."**

Kneeling down by Aya, she opened the CPU panel in her back, her hands hesitating as they hovered just above her.

* * *

 _"If you are going to destroy me, there is a more expedient method."_

 _"Destroy you? I wouldn't dream of it. I'm just deleting your higher functions so you'll behave like a proper NAV computer."_

* * *

"COME ON!" one shouted.

"KILL 'ER ALREADY!"

 **"...I...APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE: I UNDERSTAND YOU WOULD LIKE PROOF THAT I HAD GOTTEN RID OF HER, BUT THIS IS A RATHER BORING PROCESS. THERE IS NOTHING TOO EXCITING TO SEE HERE."**

More cries came from the crowd: "DO IT!"

"JUST DO IT!"

* * *

Razer was right: what was she _thinking_ , trusting a Red Lantern? Aya had just thought...she had wounded so many of them, the moral thing to do would be to heal them. To clean up some of the mess that she had created. But perhaps she was foolish to believe that she could really atone to them, especially when most of the deaths she had caused were theirs.

The only movement allowed was the twitching, twitching from her major circuits being rerouted through her body. How ironic that the very soul who helped her escape the afterlife would be the one to put her right back. The vision in Aya's optic sensors blurred and darkened. She would have never left if she knew she was going to go back so soon. Her only wish now was that she had given Razer a proper 'goodbye', perhaps one that would give him real closure.

All she could see now was a flash of bright light...and it was as if her CPU had frozen; stopped working completely.

* * *

As the bright light faded, Aya's vision was tinted by Drusa's trademark hot pink color. Thankfully, this one was not accompanied by arousal of any type (like the previous time this had happened), and instead placed a surreal sense, making her feel as if she was walking through a dream.

She did not quite understand what was going on. She could feel Drusa leading her by the hand, some other Red Lanterns congratulating her, others protesting about Aya's continued presence. The Vrashrayan only gave polite nods and short answers, but it seemed quite clear she was anxious to get away from the crowded area.

* * *

Among the lower floors of the base was a laboratory: one the Red Lanterns could barely afford without the Green Lanterns' assistance. Some fellow scientists and medics followed the two of them down to the floor. Drusa gave a brief comment how she just needed to make a few adjustments to make her a better "healing assistant" as she called her. She had supposedly forgotten her tools in her sleeping quarters. It would have only taken a moment to retrieve them, but Drusa had told her colleagues she felt it would be safer for them if Aya accompanied her, just in case.

Her sleeping quarters were not much to look at: there was just enough room for a bed, and to be able to walk to either side of it.

Hearing the door close and lock behind them, Aya could feel Drusa wirelessly hack into her CPU.

 _Mask Mode: Off_

The words flashed in front of her eyes for a second, and it only took Aya another to figure out she could move on her own free will again. Aya knew she should have turned around and rushed to her escape, but while Drusa was just standing there, adjusting the volume button again..

 **"All right, Aya?"** she began her voice quieter. **"Oof!"** Drusa grunted as she hit the wall behind her.

Aya could feel as if her CPU got just a bit darker as she clutched the front of Drusa's uniform. "You have lied to me, _again!_ Fortunately for me, you had only manage to temporarily disable me. I did not think you would work so carelessly."

 **"I know you're not disabled.** **Everything went as I planned."**

"Well you have failed to..." Aya's face softened with realization, "...wait, what?"

 **"Yes, I've faked your deactivation.** **I wanted to talk to you alone in here because the sleeping quarters are one of the few rooms on the base that don't contain security cameras."**

Aya let go of the front of her uniform. "Do the Red Lanterns know about this?"

 **"Of course not. But they would be _livid_ if they found out. I've learned a lot since I died...including that since you have living DNA-thus making you a partially organic being-I could never truly deactivated you. At least not permanently. Your sentience would have found its way back one way or another."**

"What benefits do you gain from this?"

 **"With my new profession, I feel as if I can actually do useful something with my second chance, and use my talents for good instead of just being some low-life pirate scum.** **Your offer still stands; I really would like your help to heal them, or even just keep them from dying. I'** **m sorry I couldn't be honest with you earlier, but for your safety, as well as mine, I needed to make that all look as real as possible...including getting a genuine reaction from you."**

"...I see."

 **"Now then, in order to keep the other Red Lanterns from tearing you to shreds, you're going to need to keep up your façade as my mindless robot slave. Mask Mode is a program I created to try and help you conceal any emotions you may feel at the time. You'll also need to follow other subtle commands, but we can work on those later. In the mean time, just follow me around and do as I say."**

 _Mask Mode: On_

Aya's vision becoming slightly pink again she suddenly felt a calm, neutral feeling wash over her, much like the one she had the earliest days of her memory.

 **"One more thing, I'm going to treat you more like an object rather than an individual in front of others. Try not to take it personally, it's all a part of the act. All right?"**

Aya nodded slowly. "Mask mode" had quite an effect on her expressions.

 **"Good. Enough talking. L** **et's get to work."**

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This is the last of the re-upload chapters. The rest of the story is coming soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

A month had passed since Aya agreed to be Drusa's medical assistant. Her tasks were not difficult: all she was required to do was follow Drusa around, and not interact with other members unless she "allowed" it. On a less pleasant level, she was often programmed to simulate various injuries and sicknesses in order to help create what the other Red Lantern engineers like to call "healing maps". Despite the large number of Red Lanterns dead at her hands several months before, the Corps still had hundreds of members from varying species working for them, and thus, what cured one, could kill another. Thus why her neutral-base DNA (or, what little she had of it) was used to simulate the likely outcomes of using said treatment on each individual. Fortunately, the information the medics gained from testing on her increased the others' chances of survival from the injuries and illnesses tenfold. As promised, not a single attack against any other planet for resources had occurred since she arrived.

Whether or not this was a benefit or a disadvantage, Aya had yet to decide for herself, but with each test, she felt more and more human...on an internal level, anyway. On the exterior, her body remained the same, but for the sake of convenience, the engineers kept the synthetic internal organs the engineers tested on. Since the day Aya formed a humanoid body for herself, it was her goal to one day be fully functional and anatomically correct...but she had not anticipated just how much these organs could have an effect on one's wellbeing. Since she had stayed at this base, she had experienced hunger, high blood pressure, lung infections, drowsiness, and much more, depending on what symptoms they needed to imitate using her body.

Today, however, Aya was relieved from her usual duties to help Drusa with a different task: to assist in the process of healing two wounded Red Lantern scouts brought into the lab.

One was unconscious, and the other, a bug-like humanoid, too panicked and disoriented to think clearly. Most of the things he said were incoherent babbling, but when he finally managed to speak, "the-the yellow-" was all he could say.

Drusa tenderly took the edge of his ripped, bleeding wing in the tips of her gloved fingers. **"It looks pretty bad,"** she stated to another medic standing on the other side of the examining table. **"This wing is going to need to be glued back together."**

Hissing, the humanoid pushed Drusa away, causing her to stumble a few steps backwards.

Her expression remained the same. **"Sir, please remain calm."**

"Don't you _touch me_ -" he slurred, glaring at her.

 **"A.I.,"**

Aya stood straighter at the name Drusa called her by whenever they were around people.

 **"Help me restrain the patient,"** she ordered.

Aya gave a small nod, and approached the creature to try and grab his wrists while Drusa went behind the examining table to try and grab restraining straps.

"D-Don't you fucking touch me!"

Being a machine, Aya was strong, but his strength matched hers. Not to mention that he had four arms, more than she could handle. Gripping his wrists tighter, she tried to focus her Blue Energy into his veins in attempt to calm him.

The humanoid groaned, shaking his head and fighting back. "I...I SAID 'DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!'"

Using two of his hands to grab Aya around the waist, the humanoid threw her into the nearest computer, sending an intense shock through her body. Pain began to spread from her CPU to the rest of her body, and with a combination of Mask Mode and weakness from any damage she sustained, Aya found herself barely able to move.

Drusa blinked, quickly attempting to clear any expression of shock from her own face. **"...Odd; that's the opposite of what's supposed to happen."**

"Regardless, we're going to have to subdue him before we do anything to him," the other medic reminded her, trying to hold the crying, screaming, panicking patient down.

Drusa took a couple of steps towards Aya.

"What are you doing?" her colleague asked.

 **"Checking to see if it's broken."**

"Well check later! Right now we're dealing with a _situation_ here!"

 **"The blue energy has kept the majority of the Corps' health issues away, so _forgive me_ if I'd like to make sure it stays in prime condition to keep it that way."** Drusa dragged Aya by the shoulders so she sat a bit closer to the table. Still, she figured Aya could wait a little bit. She was stronger than organic beings...she could handle it. Besides, the last thing Drusa wanted to do was give the impression that she actually looked at Aya as a person rather than a mere tool.

* * *

Half an hour later, both patients were bandaged up and waiting in the infirmary for further care. In the meantime, Drusa had excused herself to a corner of the lab to make sure that Aya didn't take any significant damage. Drusa noticed Aya's eye twitching a bit. If she were having difficulty keeping a straight face, even in Mask Mode...that could not have been a good sign. The second Drusa switched it off, Aya let out a loud gasp, one that forced Drusa to leap over and muffle her.

Watching Aya's eyes flutter shut, Drusa turned down the volume on her mask and asked her **"what's wrong?"**

"Do...do you remember that programming?"

 **"What programming?"**

"The...the," Aya looked off into a corner of the room, "viral programming you put in."

 **"Aya, there's at least a dozen programs I've added to your system, you're going to have to be more specific."**

"The first one, during the attack on Oa."

Drusa's mouth went dry; she didn't like where this was going. **"What...** **what about that one?"**

Aya's blush deepened. "That shock it...it triggered it again."

* * *

 _"I do not know what you are doing to me, but I want it to stop!" Aya cried, sitting back up._

 _"I...don't know how," she lied._

 _"You do not know how to cease your own programming?"_

* * *

 _The burning feeling quickly spread everywhere else; she couldn't move, and it was impossible to breathe!_

* * *

 **"All right, all right. There isn't any need to panic,"** she found a cable to hook Aya up to the computer nearby. **"I know how to fix this."**

Drusa typed in the most simple code she knew into the keyboard: "kill".

The computer's response showed on the screen: "confirm: are you sure you want to perform this action?"

"yes"

"error: unable to delete"

That was strange. Drusa repeated the process, but found herself with the same result.

" **Okay, let's try this:** "

"taskkill: puppet experiment"

"confirm: are you sure you want to perform this action?"

"yes"

"error: unable to complete command 'taskkill'"

Drusa almost pounded the keyboard, but stopped herself when she quickly figured that would only make it worse. What was going _on?!_

"killall"

"confirm are you sure you want to perform this action?"

"YES"

Throwing her head back, Aya screamed.

Panicked, Drusa ripped the cable from where she was connected, stopping the process. Stepping outside of the cubicle-like corner, Drusa found, to her relief, that no one noticed. Of course, when everyone is constantly screaming anyway, why would they? Returning to Aya, she put a hand on her shoulder.

 **"Are you all right? What happened?"**

"You hurt me," Aya slurred, glaring at her.

 **"Did it stop?"**

Aya groaned, looking at her feet. "Negative." Sliding off of the table and onto the floor, she added, "you have only made it worse."

Drusa paced. The easiest route would be to delete Aya's main programming, but what if that did something to affect the blue energy she carried? She was sure Razer wasn't anywhere nearby at the moment, but the mere thought of attempting to delete her sent images of her death playing through her mind over and over again. Deleting Aya was not an acceptable option to her at this time, if ever.

Noticing the glitching computer in front of them, she instructed it to run a virus scan and cleansing. It looked like the computers down here wouldn't be much help: if they all were to act the same way with the same results, not only would that have a risk of damaging the computers (and, of course, she would be held personally responsible for that) but that would only hurt Aya worse.

Looking up at the large electronic clock near the main entrance of the lab, all she could think about by looking at it was the two of her allies that had recently been injured. They were stable, but whether or not they would stay stable, and, worse, _how long_ they would stay stable for, was another issue altogether. After all, red energy was far more unpredictable than blood; if they had any further complications, that could kill them quickly if not treated immediately. Come to think of it, not even just them, but everyone else who had become dependent on Aya's blue energy to heal them. What would they do if this couldn't be fixed? Was there really nothing else she could do?

She looked at Aya curled up on the floor, in a very similar way to the way she was that night on the _Interceptor_.

Unless...maybe there was...one thing she could do...

No! Drusa smacked herself on the side of her head. What was she, mad? No, there had to have been something else, like...like...this...drill? Or no! This...thermometer? Why were these tools so out of place? Growling, Drusa knew she was on her own.

Her face softened as she watched Aya whimper, her delicate but strong blue hands on top of her head as she lay in a little ball. This was just like the last night of her life. The last night of her life, all over again.

But the matter of the thing was, she didn't have a lot of time. If this were the fastest solution, then this is what needed to be done. Besides it, wasn't like she was that bored troublemaker who played with Aya as she did for fun, there was a serious matter on the line!

 **"Aya?"**

"...Mm?" eyes bright pink, she looked up at her.

 **"Are you able to stand?"**

With a moment of thought, Aya nodded, and slowly pulled herself to her feet.

"Did-did you find something?" she panted. The first time this happened to her was difficult enough, but now the weight of her armor felt even heavier when her synthetic lungs were forced to work harder to keep her standing.

 **"I...do have a solution,"** Drusa responded, approaching her slowly.

"What is it?"

Drusa took a deep breath, and removed her mask. "I just want you to know I...I am so sorry about this," she stated, her voice barely audible.

Quickly pressing the points of Aya's middle lower armor, it fell to the floor with loud clatter.

"Drusa, wait! What are you doi-?!"

Before Aya could take any action, Drusa had knocked her so she sat down on the table and forced her head between her legs in one swift her lips around Aya's swollen clit, the relief of all of the synthetic nerves reacting in response to the oral sex, Aya didn't have the strength or will to protest.

Drusa used her thumb to pull the protective sheath of Aya's clit back, exposing the most sensitive part, and mercilessly attacked it with her tongue, the rest of her mouth enveloping the organs. Aya struggled to suppress a groan in reaction to how suddenly intense the pleasure had become. Instinctively, Aya rested one hand on top of Drusa's head, curling her fingers through her thick violet hair to make sure she didn't move, and she lightly bit down on the other one to try and muffle her moans.

Aya could see the red blush pooling in Drusa's cheeks as she looked down at her, but that was most likely that was just an inevitable reaction to losing oxygen (Aya visibly and audibly noticed Drusa's breathing become more labored without her mask), and perhaps even slight arousal herself. Otherwise, her expression was very serious, as if she were merely carrying out another medical procedure.

Squirming and trying to figure out what to do with her own body, her loss of control indicated that she was going to orgasm very soon. The electric feeling between her hips intensified, and Aya grabbed Drusa's head with both hands, holding her still while the climax moved her, her fluids spilling out into her mouth.

As soon as it was over, Aya let go, and Drusa swallowed, not really knowing what else to do with mucus-like substance in her mouth.

"Better...?" she panted.

Aya took a moment to run an internal scan. "A-affirmative," she said, her voice quiet from the post-orgasmic weakness. "All of my statuses are returning to normal."

"Good," Drusa nodded, and poked her head out again to look at the clock. It had been about three Shard minutes since she last checked it, so they hadn't taken long at all. Walking back over to one of the desks, she pulled a sanitary wipe from one of the cupboards and took two out: one for her mouth, and one for Aya to clean herself up with. Returning the mask to her face, she let herself have a moment to rest while the breathing aid helped steady her breath. **"Come on,"** she urged, kicking the loose armor back towards Aya. **"We still have work to do."**

* * *

Thanks to Aya's blue energy, the two injured Red Lanterns had recovered from their injured state. Of course, the one that shoved Aya into that computer didn't apologize, but Aya figured even if he knew she were sentient, he would not have bothered anyway.

Better-rested medics offered to take over Drusa's shift, which she gladly accepted. Aya's blue energy services were not needed at this time, so she figured she would just go with Drusa to her sleeping quarters. Drusa retired to the bed while Aya sat in the corner of the room next to it.

Aya had so much going on through her mind: first and foremost, was the realization shortly after that she had cheated on Razer. She knew it helped him to talk about Ilana sometimes when they were alone, though she felt a slowly growing resentment for them both. For her grudge against Razer, it was the feeling that he would not stop comparing her to Ilana. She could tell when he was thinking about her, (and comparing Aya to her) even if he never said anything aloud to her about it. He seemed less focused on the love he had now, and more on the love he had then. For Ilana, it was because even after all she and Razer had been through, Aya could not stop feeling as if she were merely a replacement to try and fill what Razer felt was missing in his life. And, even then, there was a growing fear or disappointment that she would always be second best.

Today, however, that resentment had been replaced by guilt. How could she chide him for occasionally talking about a passed lover when she received oral sex from another person without his knowing? Yes, it was an emergency, and Drusa was under pressure for time, but if he ever found out...no. He would not find out. She could never tell him about this. He would be utterly devastated to learn of her disloyalty. Yes, he did talk about his passed wife (while not too often, still more often than she liked to hear about her,) but he opened up to her about his past because he _trusted_ her. Even now, in a small, relatively safe Corp, there were still only few people he trusted. What she felt he was doing wrong was nothing in comparison to what had happened previously.

Another reason she would not tell him was for fear of safety. Not her own, Drusa's. Aya had grown to care about her as a companion over this past month, and the thought that she would die at his hands a second time filled her with dread. But no, not her own safety. Razer would never purposely hurt her. She was convinced he was incapable of hurting her. After all, he could not bring himself to kill her, even when she was the Manhunter Queen, and the universe depended on it.

Speaking of being the Manhunter Queen...her thought processes drifted over to that fateful day. She wished she had not felt pain. Or at least could have ignored it. Aya sighed, pulling her knees closer to her chest. Why did emotions have to exist? All her feelings ever did was get her into trouble.

Picking up on Drusa's vital signs next to her, Aya noticed her heartbeat become more erratic, and her lungs struggling to breathe steadily. Standing up to check on her, Aya could her battling the hot streaks of tears, trying to keep too many from falling into her mask. Noticing Aya watching her, she buried her face into the pillow, clearly embarrassed.

"What is wrong?"

 **"Nothing,"** she murmured. Either her mask was turned down as low as it could go, or this was how quiet she was when she was upset. Perhaps both, but Aya could not be sure, she had never seen her cry before.

Studying her for a moment, Aya continued, "I have a feeling you are also thinking about the events that have transpired earlier. Would you like to talk about them?"

 **"No."**

"...What if _I_ want to talk about it?"

Drusa paused thinking for a moment before letting out a small, soft sigh. **"Fine,"** she grumbled, defeated. Aya sat at the foot of the bed, but Drusa didn't look her way.

"I suppose first I should thank you for helping me, even if that was rather...unconventional." Aya paused, waiting for her to speak.

 **"...You're welcome."**

"I am sure I have told you I have a significant other-"

 **"How could I forget?"** Drusa asked, her tone sardonic.

Aya ignored her and kept going. "Therefore, I would appreciate that if in the case this ever happens again, there should be an asexual way to solve it."

 **"Agreed."** Curling up tighter, Aya could see the flow of red energy inside of her veins.

"Is...there something I am saying that is bothering you?"

 **"No, you're fine."**

Aya leaned closer. "If that is the case, why are your vitals rising?"

Drusa's eyes screwed shut. **"Look, just, leave me alone. I don't want to talk right now."**

"I am sorry, I do not quite understand why you are angry with me."

 **"Go sit back in the corner."**

"I do not think what I am asking is unreasonable."

Drusa groaned, throwing her pillow over her head.

"All I had asked is why you are angry with me. Is it truly that difficult to elaborate?"

 **"I'm not angry at you."**

"Then what are you angry at?"

 **"Leave me alone."**

"I am growing genuinely concerned that the red energy is affecting you this much even in my presence. Therefore I would like to resolve this issue so that it does not bother you more than it already does."

 **"It's nothing _you_ can fix."**

"I doubt it cannot be solved-"

 **"Trust me, you can't."**

"Why?"

 **"Because you can't!"**

"Why not? What is making you so irate?"

Aya jumped backwards off of the bed as Drusa sat bolt upright, turning her mask volume up.

 **" _MYSELF_ , ALL RIGHT?! I'M ANGRY AT _MYSELF!_ There, are you _satisfied?!_ " **

Aya stared at her, processing her reaction. It is possible the question had an obvious answer, but Aya asked it anyway: "...why?"

Drusa sputtered, exasperated. **"'WHY?!' Are you _JOKING?!_ There has not been a _single moment_ since my death that I don't think about what happened that day. Logically, I know having sex with you was not related to my death, but every time I end up thinking about _one_ , soon enough, I end up thinking about the _other_. You would think that the thing that haunts me most about my past are the people I've killed, or the things I've destroyed, but _NO_. It HAD to be an embarrassing mistake that no matter how hard I think about it, I don't know _why_ I did what I did. The closest thing that I can think of is that people are stupid sometimes. _I'm_ stupid sometimes! The WHOLE THING IS STUPID and I WANT to take it back, but I can't! AND, AND NOW ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS HOW I'M GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF MY EXISTENCE TORMENTED BY THAT _ONE_ DAY _AND I HATE IT!"_**

Screaming (or, as close as she could get to screaming), Drusa threw her pillow at the door. No longer fighting the tears, she sat back down onto the bed, her face buried in her hands. This was so embarrassing. She didn't cry often, but when she did, she preferred that others don't see it.

Bringing the pillow back, Aya took her spot next to her again. "...I often think about that day as well. Perhaps for different reasons, but I think about it all the same."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Drusa would be lying if she said her curiosity wasn't peaked. **"What's _your_ reason?"**

A corner of Aya's mouth pulled into a sad smile. "Do you know what started the Manhunter Queen incident?"

Drusa shook her head.

Aya calculated the probability of Drusa understanding the whole story would be low if she did not explain, so she decided to begin at the start of her adventures with the _Interceptor_ crew. How she had gone into Razer's memories with the device the Citadel used to torture him and occupy Ilana's form, and how their relationship had budded over time, possibly because of it.

Then she had told her about the Manhunters, and how Razer was nearly killed by one, but she had saved him by nearly sacrificing her own life in the process.

"As I was dying in his arms, he confessed to me that he loved me. Just before my near-death, I had uploaded my programming into the body of a nearly-destroyed Manhunter, and returned to the ship, eager to know more about what he felt. Perhaps he was not ready to face his feelings or for another relationship, or maybe what he said was the truth..." Aya teared up a bit at the memory, "...but whatever the reason, Razer said that he did not really love me...at all. Whatever love he felt was only for the memory of Ilana, and that even though I had taken her form, I was still just a machine, and that he could never truly love me. I was devastated. A few moments later, during our next battle, I asked him how to make the pain stop, and he suggested I turn off my emotions. I believe I took it too literally, because I used the battery of my ship, and all its power to shut off my emotions...or so I thought. I concluded the most logical course of action was to use this superpowered form to destroy the Anti-Monitor, so I did...whilst destroying several Red Lantern ships in the process. And then...becoming... _that_."

 **"What does all of that have to do with the night of the Red Lantern invasion?"**

"Almost everything, as far as I am concerned. You were so close to deleting my higher functions. I think about...what would have happened had Razer showed up just a few seconds too late. Everything, my emotions, would have been gone. Then everything, my love for Razer, my heartbreak when he said he did not love me, my impulsitivity...it would have never happened. The Red Lanterns I have killed would still be alive today. And the lifeless star systems within habitable range could have developed, and formed life of its own, or perhaps, some other species could have made it their home. Now those planets will never get that chance…because of me. I am glad to be more or less reunited with Razer, but with each passing day, I find myself wishing that..." she choked, "...that you _did_ finish deleting me."

A silence hung in the small, heated room, until Drusa decided that the words she had chosen carefully enough would be her contribution to the conversation.

 **"I'm not very good at comforting, so the best I can do is to tell you as it is: objectively speaking, most would agree what you did was wrong. Your mistake was very grave, and there are innocents that paid for it with their lives. However, given my past and my actions in my first life, it would be hypocritical of me to judge you. Let's say I deleted everything but your basic NAV computer functions. Do you know what would have happened then? You would have stayed a computer with no conscience of its own. Nothing more than some plaything. A mere puppet for my own amusement, granted I would own you after it was all over. I would have never gotten to know you as an individual. You are intelligent, polite, brave, and Manhunter Queen aside, kind to everyone; even to criminal lowlifes like myself. If I had, or even _could_ succeed in deleting your higher personality, feelings, learning ability, and all of the best things about you would have simply disappeared. And because of that…" **she placed a hand on Aya's shoulder, **"I am so glad I didn't."**

Physical affection was still a relatively new concept for Aya, but since she was at a loss for words, had decided that a hug seemed to be an appropriate response. Drusa tensed up at first, unexpecting of the gesture, but just as quickly relaxed and returned the squeeze.

 **"...I just remembered something: a question I've been wanting to know for a couple of weeks now."**

"Yes?"

Drusa broke the embrace. **"Where _is_ Razer anyway? Shouldn't he have tried to come and take you back by now?"**

"I...I do not know. Perhaps the Green and Blue Lantern Corps are still trying to reason with the Vrashrayan authorities."

 **"Not that I'm complaining, of course. Far from it,"** she said as she took the pillow back from Aya's hands and laid her head down on it. **"It'd be nice to know if he'd attempt taking my life again."**

Aya looked down at her hands. A whole month, and not once has Razer tried to reach her...she hoped it would not be too long before they see each other again.


End file.
